The Sebastian County Elections Commission on Thursday voted to seek the opinion of the attorney general on how to approach absentee ballots that are submitted in primary and special elections to avoid legal ramifications for the county.

In what Election Commission Coordinator Jerry Huff described as a “very serious situation” regarding new voter-identification laws, he advised the commission to seek a legal opinion.

The new law, which the Legislature approved in 2013, allows voters at polling locations who do not have valid legal identification to vote provisionally but then present a legal ID by noon on the Monday after the election. However, the law provides little clarity about absentee voters who do not present an ID.

Huff spoke about a recent situation in Craighead County in which the law caused a problem in the state Senate race, leaving the county’s election commission unsure how to count roughly 70 absentee ballots that lacked identification. After receiving conflicting advice from state authorities, the commission eventually decided to consider those ballots provisional.

Huff told the panel he wanted a “smooth election without any complications.” He said his biggest concern is the uncertainty of the Greenwood mayoral election. If the Greenwood City Council chooses to have a mayoral election in May, which Huff said could result in a potential runoff, Huff said he wanted the county to be prepared and protect itself from a potential lawsuit.

“We have four, or potentially five different ballots in May, depending on what Greenwood does. This is going to be a complicated process and we don’t want to open ourselves up to a lawsuit,” Huff said.

Election Commission Chairman Lee Webb said Pulaski County took the same action last week for the same purpose and that Sebastian County’s request for opinion would speed up the process.

The panel also established a timeframe for the May 20 primary election, setting the filing period deadline for all submissions at noon March 3, and established 10 a.m. March 10 as ballot-drawing day.

In other business, the commission briefly discussed a proposal to consolidate 14 polling locations, which Webb estimates would save the county $15,000. The proposal will be discussed at a later meeting.

The commission was also briefed on the newly hired election commission coordinator David Mansell, who will replace the retiring Huff. Huff has agreed to remain on staff until the end of the year to assist in the transitional period.

Mansell has more than 20 years of experience in administration and management and holds a bachelor’s degree in organizational management, according to County Judge David Hudson.

Mansell was not at the meeting, as he was undergoing training in the Secretary of State’s Elections Division Office, Hudson said.